Brasilia, November 18, 2025 – Research and development (R&D) institutions, manufacturers, regulatory authorities, and regional and international partners gathered at the Second Regional Meeting on mRNA Research and Development in the Americas to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the development, innovation, and production of vaccines and health technologies based on messenger RNA (mRNA) in the Region. The event was organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Regional Platform for Innovation and Production, the World Health Organization (WHO) mRNA Technology Transfer Program, and the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP).
Participants highlighted PAHO’s catalytic role in strengthening regional capacities, enabling countries and manufacturers in the Region to advance in consolidating R&D, innovation, and production ecosystems, and toward sustainable regional production of innovative vaccines.
Advances in the development and production of mRNA-based vaccines
During the two-day meeting, experts presented scientific and technological progress achieved, as well as policies and initiatives to promote development and production at regional and local levels, focusing on complementarity among stakeholders through collaboration in R&D and innovation, and its potential for productive linkages. The meeting included participants from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the United States, Mexico, and Panama, as well as countries from Asia and Africa. Key topics presented included:
- Global overview of R&D in mRNA technologies, support policies, and promotion instruments at regional and local levels, and key regulatory aspects.
- Regional progress in mRNA vaccines, including advances in H5N1 influenza and leishmaniasis, with the presentation of the TPP led by PAHO.
- New collaborative projects on mRNA platforms, including initiatives on tuberculosis and orthopoxvirus.
- Development of other therapeutic applications and innovative solutions around the mRNA technology platform.
- Innovations in critical inputs, such as lipid nanoparticles, enzymes, and plasmids, aimed at strengthening regional supply chains.
- Importance of R&D and innovation to strengthen regional capacities, along with concrete experiences in collaborative models and technology transfer.
Toward regional sustainability based on innovation, demand, and international cooperation
The meeting demonstrated that the Region has a scientific and innovation base that positions it to actively contribute to the future development of mRNA technology. It was emphasized that sustaining these capacities requires new products to emerge from and for Latin America, supported by connected ecosystems integrating research, technological development, manufacturing, regulation, and procurement mechanisms. For this supply to be viable, it must respond to real demand, requiring solid business plans, strengthened working groups and consortia, early engagement with public procurement actors, and investment decisions aligned with clearly identified health needs.
It was also stressed that models in which countries act as downstream recipients of technologies developed outside the Region, without actively participating in early research and development stages, are insufficient to ensure regional sustainability and strategic self-sufficiency. Advancing in R&D, innovation, and human talent capacities, together with effective regional coordination and South–South cooperation, will enable the consolidation of a more robust and strategic regional production of mRNA technologies.
With the support of Global Affairs Canada, PAHO promotes dialogue, knowledge exchange, and technical cooperation to foster a dynamic environment for regional innovation and production. This support is strengthening regional value chains, improving pandemic preparedness, and contributing to a more resilient, diversified, and less fragmented supply for the Americas.
The mRNA Technology Transfer Program, driven by WHO and MPP, aims to strengthen the capacity to produce vaccines and health technologies based on this technology in developing countries. In the Americas, PAHO’s Regional Platform for Innovation and Production complements its implementation by providing technical cooperation to Member States to consolidate their regional innovation and production capacities.
This event was supported by Global Affairs Canada.
